Course info

This practical module is intended for students in the 1st year of the common core. The Chemistry II practical work module will consist of experiments relating to thermodynamic phenomena. 

Students can discover the 1^st principle of thermodynamics by measuring specific heat (1^st experiment). Latent heat, which is often confusing for students, is highlighted in the 2^nd experiment where the latent heat of fusion of ice is measured. The methods for measuring the enthalpy of reaction, which expresses the heat of reaction at constant pressure, are explained in the 3^rd experiment. Finally, the last experiment (chemical kinetics) deals with the concept of the rate of a chemical reaction, which cannot be interpreted solely in terms of the principles of thermodynamics, but also in terms of the reaction mechanisms. The speed of a reaction is measured while looking for the influencing factors; thermodynamic factors and the role of a catalyst.

Finally, in order to evaluate the knowledge acquired by the students, comprehension questions are proposed towards the end of each manipulation to enable the students to assess themselves.